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september 2015
testing Doesnt
measure up
for americans
Whats Inside
Team
Joan Richardson
Editor-in-chief
Gregory A. Patterson
Managing editor/
content
Carol Bucheri
Managing editor/
design & production
Testing doesnt
measure up for
Americans
Student engagement at school and
whether students feel hopeful about
their future are better factors to consider
when evaluating schools.
Americans
endorse choice
Americans accept choice and charters
as part of the education landscape, but they
dont want to use public money to pay
for private school attendance.
William J. Bushaw
Valerie J. Calderon
PDK/Gallup Poll
Co-directors
Joan Richardson
William J. Bushaw
Writers
Patrick Mitchell
creative direction
Christopher Bowers
designer
Modus Operandi
Design/US
Design consultants
Testing lacks
public support
Americans
love their local
schools
The schools closest to our homes get the highest
grades; the ones nationally, the lowest.
Catalogtree
Infographics
Kappan
Phi Delta
Americans
prefer state, not
federal, control.
President Obamas approval is up slightly,
but Americans trust their states more as decision
makers in education.
PLUS:
USPS 429-840
ISSN 0031-7217
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK3
3Read all of
this and more at
pdkpoll.org
Whats new in
this years poll?
In the past, the PDK/Gallup poll was done exclusively
by telephone. This year, we used a multimode
design. We did a telephone poll of 1,000 adults ages
18 and over that included five key questions chosen
after analyzing four decades of PDK/Gallup polling.
This will allow us to continue examining trends for
those five questions. In addition, we also fielded an
Internet survey with members of Gallups randomly
recruited Gallup Panel. This survey included interviews with 3,499 adults ages 18 and over. This new
survey allowed us to report about specific sectors of
the population including:
3Public school parents,
3Political party membership or leanings, and
3Black, Hispanic, and white respondents.
For more details about the methodology of the
poll, please see the methodology statement
on p. 31 of this report.
Does changing from the telephone to the
web affect the poll results?
Public opinion researchers say this is a commonly known issue in polling known as the
mode effect.
Respondents in our web-based poll received
an email inviting them to take the poll. They
were able to decide when to take the survey. They also could take a break, save their
responses, and return later to complete the
questionnaire. When they looked at the question on their computer screens, they saw the
question plus all of the possible answers
except for the open-ended questions to which
they had to supply their own answers.
When a respondent sees response categories visually, theyre much more likely to gravitate toward the middle, Kafka said. When
they hear the same items, theyre more likely
to latch on to the ends.
Robert Shapiro, professor of political science
at Columbia University, agreed, even using
some of the same language that Kafka used
to describe the phenomenon. Online, they
tend to moderate their responses. They tend
to gravitate toward the middle. On the phone,
theyre rushed. Even if the caller is talking
quite slowly, its still one question after the
other, he said.
Does one mode provide more accurate
responses than another?
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK5
Americans
of all types
once again
named lack
of financial
support as
the biggest
problem
facing their
local
schools
Too much
testing?
Q2
In your opinion,
is there too much
emphasis on standardized testing in
the public schools
in your community,
not enough emphasis on testing,
or about the right
amount?
National
total
Public
school
parents
64
67
19
Dont know
10
Q4
Do you think that
all parents with
children in the
public schools
should be allowed
to excuse their
child from taking
one or more standardized tests?
National
total
41
44
Dont know
16
8
20
5
Rep.
60
Ind.
21
18
11
Rep.
40
40
13
13
Dem.
Ind.
33
40
50
42
18
18
Hispanics
Whites
60
65
13
25
16
20
11
10
9
4
16
47
Blacks
57
66
71
Public
school
parents
47
Dem.
Blacks
Hispanics
28
35
57
45
15
20
Whites
44
41
15
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK7
Q7
Would you excuse
your own child
from taking one or
more standardized
tests?
Yes, I
would
excuse
my child.
31
34
No, I
would not
excuse
my child.
59
55
Dont know
10
Q8
My child complains
about taking too
many standardized
tests.
Rep.
4
Strongly
agree
Dont know
26
Ind.
Blacks
Whites
21
28
34
75
65
54
12
43
63
Hispanics
55
12
Public
school
parents
Strongly
disagree
Dem.
11
Rep.
Dem.
18
20
23
21
20
15
24
25
27
15
15
12
15
5
16
6
16
6
Ind.
12
Blacks
26
Hispanics
32
27
24
25
19
21
18
10
9
4
12
19
21
18
22
Whites
24
15
15
6
Findings
richard levine/demotix/corbis
n the last year, the grassroots optout movement, which allows parents to
refuse to have their child take a standardized test, has shown the extreme
response to testing in some areas of the
country, particularly New York. Even
though opting out has not caught on
nationwide, that does not mean that
Americans or public school parents are
undecided about standardized testing. As
this years poll shows, many do not like
the increasing emphasis on testing.
In 1970, Americans showed support
for testing. When we asked Americans
that year if they wanted students in their
local schools to take national tests so
their educational achievement could be
compared with students in other communities 75% said yes.
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK9
Q1
How engaged
students are
with their
classwork
Public school
parents
78
The % of
students who
feel hopeful
about their
future
% of students
who graduate
from high
school
% of high school
graduates who
go to college
or community
college
% of graduates
who get jobs
immediately
after completing
high school
Scores that
students
receive on
standardized
tests
80
Hispanics
77
79
82
77
77
69
75
79
68
68
39
27
31
14
14
28
64
Not enough
emphasis
on testing
67
About the
right amount
of emphasis
on testing
19
Dont know
10
8
20
5
Q5
Dem.
60
71
8
21
18
11
Examples of
the student's
work
38
37
37
40
38
36
39
38
26
25
23
26
25
27
24
26
20
22
18
22
21
14
15
19
16
15
25
Grades
awarded by
the teacher
21
22
22
Scores on
standardized
achievement
tests
16
16
18
11
57
Hispanics
60
4
16
Blacks
34
Blacks
66
Ind.
Written
observations
by the
teacher
23
Ind.
Dem.
34
47
54
37
79
81
38
Q3
Whites
77
Q2
Too much
emphasis
on testing
Blacks
Q4
13
25
16
20
11
10
Whites
Whites
65
Hispanics
Yes, parents
should be
allowed to
excuse their
child.
41
No, parents
should not
be allowed
to excuse
their child.
44
Dont know
16
47
47
40
40
13
13
Dem.
33
50
18
Ind.
Blacks
40
42
18
Hispanics
28
35
57
45
15
20
Whites
44
41
15
THERE ARE MANY IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE FOLLOWING IDEAS FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN
YOUR COMMUNITY? (% WHO SAID VERY IMPORTANT)
National
total 2015
Quality of
the teachers
Public school
parents
95
Expectations
for what
students
should learn
Rep.
Dem.
97
95
67
66
71
61
67
59
Blacks
Ind.
95
Hispanics
95
68
94
66
Whites
96
78
95
73
64
Effectiveness
of the principals
How much
money the
schools have
to spend
Using tests to
measure what
students have
learned
45
19
49
19
61
26
19
60
14
54
41
22
30
68
57
66
48
29
60
41
15
Q6
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO KNOW HOW THE STUDENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY'S SCHOOLS PERFORM
ON STANDARDIZED TESTS COMPARED WITH STUDENTS IN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS? HOW IMPORTANT IS
IT FOR YOU TO KNOW HOW STUDENTS IN YOUR STATE PERFORM ON STANDARDIZED TESTS COMPARED WITH
STUDENTS IN OTHER STATES? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO KNOW HOW STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTRY
PERFORM ON STANDARDIZED TESTS, SUCH AS THE PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT
(PISA), COMPARED WITH STUDENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES? (% WHO SAID VERY IMPORTANT)
National
total 2015
Knowing how
students in your
communitys
schools
compare to
students in
other school
districts
Knowing how
students in your
communitys
schools
compare to
students in
other states
Knowing how
students in your
communitys
schools
compare to
students in
other countries
P.S.
parents
Rep.
Dem.
Ind.
Blacks
22
18
18
18
31
29
15
18
21
16
19
17
34
29
15
24
22
21
26
24
34
34
21
Q7
Dont know
Rep.
Dem.
31
34
26
Ind.
Blacks
21
43
Hispanics
28
Public sch.
parents
Whites
34
Strongly
disagree
2.00
No, I would
not excuse
my child.
59
55
75
63
65
55
10
Whites
18
Q8
Yes, I would
excuse my
child.
Hispanics
12
11
54
3.00
4.00
12
Strongly
agree
Dont know
18
21
Blacks
26
18
Hispanics
32
24
19
15
21
18
10
9
4
12
19
21
24
16
6
Whites
24
15
15
6
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK11
Q9
(Telephone)
National National
total 2015 total 14
Favor
43
38
41
Oppose
55
61
58
Dont know/
refused
52
47
1
Dem.
Ind.
37
41
39
63
56
60
53
45
How should we
use standardized
tests?
There are
many ideas about how
to improve the quality
of public schools.
Q5E
Using tests to
measure what
students have
learned
National
total
Public
school
parents
Rep.
Dem.
10
25
20
24
30
Somewhat important
Very important
Dont know
48
19
1
51
19
48
19
1
46
14
2
Ind.
Blacks
Hispanics
Whites
24
18
19
26
42
41
47
22
1
50
30
29
3
15
1
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK13
effectiveness of
the public schools in
your community?
How important
do you think each
of the following is
for measuring the
Q1F
Scores that
students receive on
standardized tests
National
total
13
Public
school
parents
17
Rep.
15
Dem.
14
Ind.
Blacks
13
11
19
Not very important
28
26
27
29
Very important
Dont know
43
14
2
42
43
43
38
14
1
13
3
12
2
14
2
Q9
National
total
(Telephone)
Whites
14
26
33
44
Somewhat important
Hispanics
29
38
44
28
23
Public
school
parents
Rep.
11
2
Dem.
Ind.
Favor
43
37
41
39
45
Oppose
55
63
56
60
53
Dont know /
Refused
Q11
Favor
Oppose
Q10
About right
Dont know/
refused
12
7
30
37
Dem.
Ind.
43
39
Blacks
Hispanics
39
32
46
39
32
39
42
45
18
20
18
16
20
14
35
25
54
54
69
22
21
17
38
26
Ind.
Blacks
23
41
50
35
27
25
Hispanics
Whites
29
21
50
57
22
22
Ind.
A great
deal
22
19
22
17
A fair
amount
39
28
36
30
25
Blacks
Hispanics
Whites
27
22
35
40
27
26
6
6
6
6
38
42
40
42
38
32
Only a little
17
Dem.
33
Dont know
24
Q12
Whites
48
Too low
18
Nothing
at all
Dont know
27
6
6
23
3
1
24
7
5
27
7
5
11
8
31
11
6
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK15
Q13
Teachers
or other
education
professionals
Public sch.
parents
Blacks
25
27
30
School
communication (such 11
as, a web
site or
newsletter) 20
19
16
17
18
33
26
31
12
12
Friends,
neighbors,
or relatives
Television,
newspapers
or radio
Social media
(such as
Facebook
or Twitter)
Hispanics
Whites
26
24
11
10
20
20
32
33
11
13
This is the least resource-intensive approach. Create a local poll based on relevant sections of the
national one. Is testing a hot issue in your community? Use questions 1-9. What about the Common
Core? Use questions 10-13. When you get your local
results, see how your community compares to the
national data. What does that suggest in terms of
additional outreach needed to explain your policies, and what does it indicate about possible modifications you might want to make to the policies?
Conducting the survey can be fast and easy. If
you have survey administration tools, use them. Or
take advantage of online surveys such as Survey
Monkey. Asking respondents to identify their
racial/ethnic group also would let you know if important populations have distinctive concerns that
you might need to address.
Enlist the help of your principals and groups
such as your teachers and parent associations to
administer the survey with their staff and/or members.
To better learn about your stakeholders understanding of and perspectives on key issues, organize a listening session. These sessions can range in
size from 10-person focus groups to 100-plus-person community forums. For example, several years
ago, we worked with a handful of state school board
associations to organize a series of local forums
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK17
QN3
3How do you
plan to use the
poll findings?
Tell us at
pdkpoll.org.
Q14
(Telephone)
National
total 2015
National
total 14
Favor
64
63
Oppose
25
Rep.
Ind.
50
55
66
Dem.
71
75
Findings
Dont know/
refused
11
31
27
Q15
13
Favor
64
67
Oppose
26
25
11
Dont know
20
17
12
37
33
Dem.
53
73
32
Q16
19
8
15
Ind.
Blacks
62
68
63
64
20
26
26
13
12
10
26
12
Hispanics
Whites
Yes, I have
enough
information.
46
No, I do
not have
enough
information.
42
Dont know
12
61
33
5
50
40
9
Dem.
Ind.
Blacks
Hispanics
Whites
41
46
50
48
46
47
40
41
38
42
13
14
10
14
12
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK19
Q17
SUPPOSE FAMILIES WERE FREE TO CHOOSE WHICH PUBLIC SCHOOL THEIR CHILD ATTENDS
IN THIS COMMUNITY. HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS
IS IN CHOOSING A LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOL? (% WHO SAID VERY IMPORTANT)
National
total 2015
Quality of the
teaching staff
Public school
parents
94
Rep.
95
Dem.
Blacks
Ind.
95
95
Hispanics
89
97
92
89
87
Whites
93
Curriculum
84
Maintaining
student
discipline
85
74
Size of the
classes
75
61
Variety of
extracurricular
activities
(i.e. music,
theatre, clubs)
Reputation
of the school
Proximity
to home
85
83
70
47
53
47
51
87
78
65
54
69
68
37
48
79
60
83
75
77
73
61
59
53
39
61
53
44
46
44
54
48
45
Size of the
school (i.e.
the number
of students
enrolled)
25
29
21
32
18
35
33
22
22
28
20
25
14
40
27
19
Student
achievement
on standardized
tests
15
14
17
15
11
27
24
12
Success of
athletic
programs
10
10
21
18
Proximity
to parents
workplace
10
Local schools
better than schools
nationally
Q18
Q18
Q19
Q20
Using the A, B, C,
D, and Fail scale
again, what grade
would you give the
school your oldest
child attends?
(Telephone)
National
total
Public
school
parents
13
14
14
15
38
43
40
40
31
D
Fail
Dont know/
refused
9
4
4
29
8
5
1
Rep.
27
Dem.
11
37
34
33
14
4
1
Ind.
7
7
5
7
1
4
Q19
Q20
National
total
Public
school
parents
Rep.
Dem.
Ind.
A
C
D
Fail
Dont know/
refused
28
44
22
4
2
24
22
46
44
37
38
23
27
5
2
7
1
22
2
1
National
total
Public
school
parents
3
18
4
15
48
26
48
50
19
4
3
1
19
Fail
Dont know/
refused
7
4
Rep.
4
11
Dem.
Ind.
21
21
54
49
15
4
5
17
47
17
25
10
6
9
5
8
2
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK21
Dont
know
Fail
D
C
Dont
know
Fail
D
C
B
A
Dont
know
Fail
D
2014
2012
2013
2011
2010
2008
2009
2007
2005
2006
2004
2003
2001
2002
1999
2000
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1992
1993
1991
1990
1989
1987
1988
1985
A
1986
Americans
once again
named lack
of financial
support as
the biggest
problem
facing schools
in their communities.
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK23
Q18
(Telephone)
National
total 2015
Public Sch.
parents
Rep.
Dem.
13
14
14
15
38
43
40
40
31
D
Fail
Dont know/
refused
9
4
4
29
8
5
1
27
14
4
1
33
7
1
4
Ind.
11
37
34
7
7
5
Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding.
3
(Telephone)
National
total 2015
Public Sch.
parents
Rep.
22
28
24
44
46
22
23
27
4
2
5
2
7
1
C
D
Fail
Dont know/
refused
44
22
2
1
Ind.
26
48
19
4
3
1
(Telephone)
National
total 2015
Public Sch.
parents
3
18
4
15
50
48
19
Fail
Dont know/
refused
37
38
Q20
Dem.
7
4
Rep.
Dem.
Ind.
4
11
21
21
54
49
15
4
5
17
47
17
25
10
6
9
5
Q21
8
2
Public Sch.
parents
Blacks
Less than
or equal
to 25%
26
21
20
26% - 50%
38
41
48
51% - 75%
29
29
More than
75%
Hispanics
Whites
30
26
38
25
27
36
Q22
Yes
84
83
80
9
7
7
10
13
7
Dem.
94
Ind.
Blacks
Hispanics
Whites
83
87
83
83
9
8
6
6
9
8
10
7
31
No
Dont know
4
3
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK25
Q23
Favor
31
33
46
Dem.
16
Ind.
Blacks
Hispanics
Whites
33
36
30
63
56
50
59
11
15
11
29
71
Oppose
Dont know
57
12
58
46
8
14
Money makes
a difference at
schools
Lack of financial support is the biggest problem facing American schools, according to respondents to the PDK/Gallup poll.
Thats been a consistent message from the public for the past 10
years. Having sufficient money to spend would improve
the quality of the public schools, according to a sizeable portion of American adults. Nearly half of public school parents
said having sufficient money was key to improving the quality
of the public schools.
Q5D
How much money
the schools have
to spend?
National
total
Not at all important
Not very important
Somewhat important
3
12
39
options were
listed.)
Public
school
parents
2
9
Rep.
6
22
Dem.
1
4
Ind.
3
15
3
6
Hispanics
5
13
Whites
3
13
25
33
39
Blacks
30
40
42
46
Very important
45
49
41
26
Dont know
66
60
48
4
41
1
What do you
think are the biggest
problems that the
public schools of
your community
must deal with?
Please provide up to
three problems.
National
total
Public
school
parents
23
3
24
6
11
4
27
3
25
3
Standards / quality of
education
7
5
2
10
6
1
11
5
3
5
5
2
6
6
3
Biggest
Problem
Rep.
Dem.
Ind.
(Phone)
Lack of financial
support
Testing / regulations
Overcrowded schools
Parents / lack of
support / lack of interest
Blacks
Biggest
Problem
(Web)
These responses
were collected in
this years web
poll.
Hispanics
Whites
22
24
27
9
8
7
7
5
4
2
3
1
7
7
7
9
8
6
1
2
4
6
8
7
By Joshua P. Starr
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK29
Q24
National
total 2015
9
28
24
15
Fail
Dont know/
refused
20
4
National
total 14
National
total 09
12
22
33
29
16
27
2
Public sch.
parents 15
9
24
23
26
11
10
8
Rep. 15
Rep. 09
Dem. 15
2
5
15
2
15
17
29
36
(Web)
Dem. 09
Ind. 15
5
24
Ind. 09
21
Blacks
19
36
31
55
46
18
18
47
25
2
Q25
(Telephone)
20
9
34
19
3
4
2
19
3
1
7
18
6
13
13
8
8
14
21
15
26
16
Hispanics
D
Fail
Dont know/
refused
14
8
6
17
Whites
4
13
18
18
24
34
19
14
v97 n1 pdkpoll.orgK31
Liz Grant
Sito Narcisse
American Institute
for Research
Dan Brown
Caroline Hendrie
Eric Parker
PDK International
Education Writers
Association
William J. Bushaw
Ocey Holland
director, communication
and external affairs
Q26
Dem.
Ind.
Blacks
Hispanics
Whites
Co-director,
Educators Rising
23
28
13
34
Local
Dont know
46
26
4
41
28
2
35
42
Brandon Busteed
Ashley Kincaid
Gallup Education
Valerie J. Calderon
Senior Education
Research Consultant
16
5
49
38
45
36
33
20
29
6
23
5
37
22
6
27
4
student president
PDK International
Gallup
49
State
23
executive director
Future Educators
Association
Executive Director
Federal
vice president-education
Noelle Ellerson
Co-director, Educators
Rising
PDK International
Robert Johnston
vice president
Shane Lopez
associate superintendent
principal
Connie Rath
dean
Gallup University
Joan Richardson
Editor-in-Chief,
Kappan magazine
PDK International
Chris Swanson
vice president,
Research & Development
Editorial Projects in
Education
Senior Scientist
Rob Weil
American Association of
School Administrators
Marc Magee
Renee Foose
American Federation
of Teachers
50CAN
associate executive
director, policy and
advocacy
superintendent
Gallup
Natalie Morales
science teacher
Newburgh (N.Y.)
Free Academy
director of field
programs
Patricia Williams
chair
PDK International
20
21
37
36
8
33
23
31
27
17
38
State
32
Local
Dont know
39
42
53
34
35
28
38
28
33
37
32
42
21
17
43
46
Federal
19
State
44
21
7
31
27
32
37
41
33
26
28
27
30
34
48
Local
Dont know
47
33
31
43
2
Federal
21
23
9
33
24
39
29
48
State
Local
Dont know
42
31
6
46
29
3
34
42
33
41
26
29
22
38
22
12
17
45
34
4
Methodology
The 2015 PDK/Gallup poll was conducted via multiple modes.
Gallup used its historical approach to collect data by telephone
via the Gallup Panel. The phone-based approach was used to
conduct surveys with 1,001 adults, ages 18+ in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia. Gallup also conducted a web-based
survey with a sample of 3,499 adults ages 18+ in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia. The web-based study was also
conducted via the Gallup Panel and only included those with
Internet access.
The margin of sampling error for the phone survey is 4.79
percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
The margin of sampling error for the web-based survey is
3.02 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
The margin of sampling error for the Hispanic population surveyed in the web-based survey is 8.7 percentage points at the
95% confidence level. The margin of sampling error for the black
population surveyed in the web-based survey is 7.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
The Gallup Panel is a proprietary, probability-based longitudinal panel of U.S. adults who are selected using random-digitdial (RDD) and address-based sampling methods. The Gallup
Panel is not an opt-in panel. The Gallup Panel includes 60,000
individuals. Panel members can be surveyed by phone, mail, or
web. Samples from both the phone and web poll were weighted
to correct for unequal selection probability and nonresponse.
The data are weighted to match national demographics of
gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, and region.
Demographic weighting targets are based on the most recent
Current Population Survey figures.
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